Plans and Directions - A Congregational Prayer for the New Year 2023

 

Almighty God, though a man’s heart plans his ways, it is you who directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Therefore, we pray for this world, your church, and ourselves for this new year.

Lord God, as we plan our ways and means for this year, guide us step-by-step. May our confidence in you increase throughout 2023. May we come to know you more than ever before, love you more deeply than we have in the past, and serve you with greater enjoyment and enthusiasm. May we have eyes to see you doing great things – even in the modest and mundane moments. May we have hearts and voices ready to rejoice in your great goodness, even if the wind gets kicked out of us. May we be known as a people who enjoy making much of you!

We ask you to alleviate the suffering, angst and fretfulness of those who are in dire need of your healing or help (…). For all of them we ask you to restore them by filling them with your unsurpassable peace to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and give them rock-hard reasons to have hope in you through all their trials and troubles.

Please look upon our country and its leadership. Maintain our liberties and guide us all (personally and politically) along the path of your truth and righteousness. Also, for the nations of our world and the leaders of the nations, we pray. O dear God, for the glory of your Name, the good of your Church and the wellbeing of all, we plead with you to reinstate peace and order where there is only war and chaos; and to build strong justice and hope in the more stable countries.

God, who not only created all things by the word of your power, but cares for creation, tending it; see that this region needs your ongoing replenishment. We’re ever so grateful for the rains, and the bit of snow, you have bestowed on us. Please provide all that we need to keep from sliding back into dearth and drought.

O Lord, we pray for your Church in all places, for this congregation, and for Portland Ave Baptist Church, Rancho Village, Regency Park, and Shields Boulevard Baptist Church. You have promised that those you love you reprove and discipline (Revelation 3:19). Please do help us all, by your love, reproof and discipline, that we may truly be a people saturated and flourishing in your graciousness, loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, and eschewing evil and error. Bring us to be a special people zealous for good works.

Finally, we plead for the salvation, transformation and rescue of those who have never believed in your Son and turned away from their sins. And we pray for the restoration of those who have strayed away from you (…). 

All of these requests we have mentioned, and those that have remained silently in our hearts, we ask in the name of, and by the authority of, Jesus Christ, your Son and our Saving Lord. And we pray as we have been taught, saying, Our Father…

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